TESS VALMORE


I chose to hold off with our 2016 awards until after the December PPV. I am glad we did as there were dramatic changes as a result of that PPV

LIGHTWEIGHT AWARDS

My impression was that this was not the greatest of years for the lightweights. Activity among the top fighters was a problem. The top ten constantly shifted because of inactivity. In our last ranking, four of the top six fighters dropped out because of inactivity. Some of the older lightweights moved to welter Fortunately, we had a number of rookies enter the FCBA in the last five months, however some listed as lightweight/welter fought mostly at welter. Unlike our good friends at Boxing World we do not rate fighters in two divisions


FIGHT OF THE YEAR

STRAHOVSKI/WINSTEAD MARCH 28 The bitterest rivalry currently in the FCBA You might say that these two are not very good friends. This was a close fight that involved five knockdowns and each fighter being close to being stopped. Winstead pulled the fight out in the tenth round with a last minute TKO

UPSET OF THE YEAR

STRAHOVSKI/A/THERON Yvonne habitually inhabits the top ten lightweights, often in the top five. She is a four time champion and in the peak of her career. She was 8-2 in her last ten fights that included the above bout. She had faced Theron three times before beating her three times and TKOing her twice. Theron, admittedly the greatest of all time, at 41 and after some 363 fights, was a shadow of her former self. She was fading badly late in her fights. To everyone/s surprise The GOAT not only lasted into the tenth round, but she was able to survive a ninth round knockdown and came back to KO Yvonne in the tenth. It would be a great win for CT to retire on

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

Our buddies at Boxing World picked Miranda Kerr as their lightweight of the year. She was 4-0, but one of her fights was against a fighter who had only two fights in her career and another had never won a fight. We did put her in our top ten in our last ranking,  but only because so many dropped out on inactivity. Instead we choose the most active fighter, on the year. She had 14 bouts winning twelve of them. While there was not a top ten fighter in her opposition, the fighters she faced were competent. Her number of fights went a long way in silencing some critics who maintained that the 100 fight requirement for the Hall Of Fame was no longer reachable. Our lightweight of the year is TAYLOR SWIFT

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

As we previously said there were a number of rookies enter the league in the last month of the year. A some fought mainly at other weights although listed as lightweights Alexis Ren fought mainly at bantam and Hannah Ferguson at welter. I decided to go with a fighter who had four bouts in the last three months winning all four. Our rookie of the year is LUISANA LOPILATO

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR

After being inducted in the Hall Of Fame this lightweight had only two conventional bouts during the year, winning one. She was dropped from the top ten because of inactivity Our disappointment is KALEY CUOCO


WELTERWEIGHT AWARDS

FIGHT OF THE YEAR

RIGHETTI/FREEMAN The fight lasted nine blistering rounds with Freeman on the verge of winning several times. In the end it was Righetti’s power punching that ended the fight with a ninth round KO

UPSET OF THE YEAR

RIGHETTI/KLOSS A most likely future Hall Of Famer against a rookie.   I doubt anyone gave Kloss much a chance against Amanda.   Righetti was well on her way to victory, when, in the seventh round, Kloss landed a short left hook and Righetti was undone. Kloss, then got Righetti against the ropes and pounded her into a TKO for the upset of the year in the FCBA

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

Righetti was on her way to be our fighter of the year but everything changed on December 30, Kloss’s stunning victory derailed Righetti and lifted Kloss up. Kloss ended the year 6-0 and her last four wins were over former champions Our welter of the year is KARLIE KLOSS

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Hannah Ferugson was getting our vote as the rookie of the year and then December 30 came. Kloss win over Righetti made her fighter of the year. Since the fighter of the year is a rookie. the rookie of the year has to be the same woman. The Rookie of the year is KARLIE KLOSS

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR

When she entered the FCBA in late 2014, her size struck fear among many in the FCBA. She would dominate the welters was the word around and in 2015, she won five of six losing only to Cassidy Freeman. In 2016 she had only two fights, one against an opponent who hadn’t had a fight and the other against an opponent who is not even listed on the FCBA roster. That’s not I would term terrorizing the division. Our disappointment of the year in ROBYN LAWLEY